A lot of West Ham fans are reacting to former manager Harry Redknapp’s comments about Rio Ferdinand’s career whilst playing at the Hammers.

Ferdinand progressed through the youth ranks with their academy, before making his full senior debut away to Derby in the league in February 1997 after a string of minor substitute appearances via Transfermarkt.

He then moved to Leeds United, and eventually to Manchester United in 2002. This £30 million move made him Britain’s most expensive signing at the time. (Talksport)

Many fans believed that Rio did not want to leave the Hammers, but Harry Redknapp spoke on the Sky Sports Transfer Talks podcast and said that he “begged him (Rio) not to go”. The manager’s career in East London came to an end quickly after Ferdinand left. Since Redknapp was sacked and to this day, the Irons have arguably struggled to produce such talent an array of talent (such as Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick) out of their academy, perhaps the most notable being club hero Mark Noble and current prospect Declan Rice.

Here is what fans have said on Redknapp’s comments:

Redknapp on Ferdinand: “I knew that was the future of the football club. I begged Rio not to go. That was the first of the lads. Most of them went on to win almost everything. I think if we’d kept them together West Ham could have gone on to become a real force.” pic.twitter.com/lHeVgL4dqV

As much as some of our fans disliked Harry, there is no denying he was right about the lads that left and I genuinely believed he wanted what was best for the club but once again poor greedy owners cared more about their pockets than the club and its fans. Seems to be a pattern https://t.co/4gebQakSKO